British India: Consequences of the Rebellion (Urban design) Flashcards
What was significant about Lucknow?
Site of some of the bloodiest fighting during the mutiny
What was site of the most bloodiest fighting during the mutiny?
Lucknow
Under whose command was Lucknow reshaped to fit the needs of a British ruling elite paranoid about further rebellion?
Robert Napier
Under Robert Napier, why did he reshape Lucknow?
Reshaped to fit the needs of the paranoid British ruling elite, who were scared of further rebellion
What fraction of Lucknow was destroyed under Napier?
2/5
What happened to 2/5 of Lucknow?
Destroyed under Napier
What was built in Lucknow after the destruction of 40% of the city?
Straight wide boulevards to facilitate the movement of troops in the event of the rebellion, imposing railway with long platform to allow reinforcements to be unloaded quickly and a massive network of military cantonments
Why were straight, wide boulevards built in Lucknow?
Facilitate the movement of troops in the event of rebellion
What was built in Lucknow that would facilitate the movement of troops in the event of another rebellion?
Straight, wide boulevards
Why were railways with long platforms built?
Allow reinforcements to be unloaded quickly
What enabled reinforcements to be unloaded quickly?
Railway stations with long platforms
What was built outside the city’s limits?
Massive network of military cantonments
What happened to the population of Lucknow whilst the changes were being made?
Expelled from households
Who was expelled from their households during the work of Lucknow?
The population
When could the population of Lucknow, who were expelled due to the changes, allowed to come back?
Until they had paid their tax- covering the cost of rebuilding
Why did the population of Lucknow have to pay a tax covering the cost of rebuilding Lucknow?
In order to return back to their households that they were expelled from
What did Robert Napier, brigadier in the Bengal Engineers, observe in his March 1858 “Memorandum on the Military occupation of the City of Lucknow?”
‘The city of Lucknow, from its vast extent, and from the absence of any very prominent features of the ground on which it stands must always remain difficult to control except by a large body of troops’
Who said ‘The city of Lucknow, from its vast extent, and from the absence of any very prominent features of the ground on which it stands must always remain difficult to control except by a large body of troops’
Robert Napier in his “Memorandum on the Military occupation of the City of Lucknow” (March 1858)
What did Napier convert the principal mosque into?
Turned it into temporary barracks
The temporary barracks, what was previously the use of the building?
Principal mosque
What were the feature of the Machhi Bhagwan fort?
Commanding view of the city’s main two bridges
Centre of the new city
600 yard wide square cleared from in front of the force which was used as wide, straight roads
What was built in every major Indian city?
Main garrison was placed in built-up area in a ‘cantonment’ from which soldiers could emerge to crush any rebellions to British rule
Within the cantonment, where were the officers housed?
In their own bungalow which had a garden (size according to rank)
What did the troops have in close proximity?
Brick barracks
Where did native troops live?
Further away in thatched huts they were expected to build for themselves
What were the features of the Lucknow railway?
Designed with the aim of preserving of order
Building was structured like a fortress
Long platforms for easy transportation of reinforcements
Outside the broad roads, what was ensured?
Clear fields of fire
